X-ray radiation is widely used to probe the internal structure of materials in applications such as medical diagnosis, security screening, and industrial inspection. X-rays can also be used for radiation treatment procedures (e.g. to destroy tumors or to sterilize packages). In simple imaging methods, x-ray photons are transmitted through an object. The transmitted x-ray photons collected by a recording device over a period of time form a static projection image with overlapping structural features. More advanced imaging methods, such as tomosynthesis or computed tomography (CT), use multiple projection images from different viewing angles for image reconstruction or multiple frame images for contrast enhancement purposes.
Typical CT scanners achieve multiple viewing angles by high-speed rotation of an x-ray tube around an object. This requires a large and complicated gantry, which limits current medical CT scanners to about three rotations per second. Due to the gantry rotation the source has to move on a circular trajectory. Moreover, the image acquisition is limited to a sequential recording of x-ray images.
A multibeam x-ray source can be used to obtain projection images of an object from different viewing angles without mechanical motion of the source and with the potential for faster image acquisition speed. Although a multibeam x-ray source can provide these advantages, however, a multibeam source alone does not address the potential problem that many independent source elements need to be controlled and potential electron generation element degradation resulting in changes in the output of the x-ray source, need to be monitored and if necessary corrected. Accordingly, it would be desirable for a multibeam x-ray source to provide more consistent and predictable x-ray output combined with good system integration and interfacing.